Chapter 85 - The Second Visit to the Primal Ruins
This is our second exploration of the Primal Ruins.
Today, mackerel clouds float high in the sky. The lake is completely enveloped in autumn colors. We boarded the boat carrying offerings and lunch boxes, wearing our newly developed autumn/winter Green Marble gear—cloaks designed with less green and more black and dark brown. In case the ruins turn out to be a labyrinth, my item bag also contains chunks of Owen-san's special dried meat and vegetables. Lyudmila is carrying a pot on her back. We are fully prepared.
This time, we are accompanied by Adolf-san, who provided the funding, as well as the Archbishop and the Archbishop's secretary, likely because this involves the Primal Ruins. Furthermore, probably to assess the potential for military application, the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Guard, along with the two from the workshop, are also participating. I feel a bit of pressure.
The 'Beak' has changed shape considerably compared to the first water pipe. What used to be about the height of a person is now long enough to span from the bow to the stern. The base of the beak is bent into a crank shape, extending from a cylinder attached to the gunwale down to the water's surface. The shape of the beak itself has changed from a flat, duck-like form to a thick, short one like a crow's.
I suggested changing the name since the shape had changed, but I was ignored, being told it was already recorded in the documents.
Today, Paul-san is focusing entirely on adjusting the beak, so Bonnie is serving as one of the rowers. We row out to a certain point. As we approach the fog, we increase our speed. After releasing the beaks on both sides simultaneously, we all faced the center, formed a long circle, and held hands.
We had already done a trial run where we crossed near the fog to confirm we could go from one end to the other without stopping. Normally, you would just come out on the opposite side.
We began to sing at Paul-san's lead. Now that it was the real thing, my voice couldn't help but go high. Besides, Beatrix and I are at the front.
We finally plunged into the fog, and everyone raised their voices even louder. As the damp mist clung to my skin, I reflexively squeezed the hands of Beatrix on my left and Beowulf on my right. I was happy when they both squeezed back firmly.
Enclosed in pure white, I could hear nothing but everyone's singing and the bubbling sound of the beak exhaling air. It felt like a long time had passed. I wonder how many times we sang the song.
"The fog is clearing!"
Beatrix shouted. Gradually, the surroundings grew brighter. The fog lifted, and the area became visible. Before our eyes stretched a lake. Huh? Even looking overhead, there is no sun. And yet, it is as bright as midday.
The beak had already gone silent, and the boat was merely drifting lazily.
"I'm letting go of your hands."
I nodded toward Paul-san, and we all let go at once, but nothing in particular changed.
The lake surface was as still as a mirror. Fog hung all around the lake—even overhead like a ceiling—so nothing else could be seen. Because there was no sound, I could clearly hear each person's breathing.
"Where is this? Where are we?"
Beatrix looked around anxiously.
"It doesn't look like the original lake. Weren't we transported somewhere?"
As Paul-san said, it would be more convincing to be told we passed through the fog to a different lake.
"Ah, a bird!"
Lyudmila, who was peering over the edge of the boat at the water, raised her voice. Was a bird reflected in the mirror-like surface? We all looked up at the sky at once, but there was nothing there.
"Lyudmila, where is the bird?"
Lyudmila looked at my face and pointed at the water's surface.
"Eh?"
"It's inside the water."
Is it a waterfowl, then? This time, we all peered into the water and gasped.
A blue sky stretched across the bottom of the water, with mackerel clouds floating in it. Indeed, a bird was flying there. I hurriedly looked up at the sky, but it remained pure white.
"What does this mean?"
Beatrix grabbed my hand. She was trembling slightly.
"I'm sure we've come to the opposite side."
Lyudmila was surprisingly calm, but I didn't understand what she meant.
"The opposite side of the water's surface?"
When Paul-san asked, she nodded. The world on the opposite side... I remember Lyudmila saying that there is an opposite world on the other side of a mirror...
Suddenly, Paul-san stood up as if he had made up his mind.
"You lot stay here."
He threw off his Green Marble cloak and wrapped a rope around his body.
"Paul-san, you don't mean to go into the water, do you?"
Instead of answering Robinson-san, Paul-san gave a broad grin, said "I'm counting on you all!" and dove into the lake. I looked where Paul-san had dived, but I could see nothing but the blue sky spreading underwater. Even the rope seemed to disappear halfway through, as if it had vanished.
Nothing changed. Just as I was starting to worry that he might be running out of breath, he popped up some distance away.
"There's nothing. No matter how far I go, it's just white."
After shouting that, he swam back to the boat using breaststroke and was pulled up by Robinson-san and Beowulf.
"I couldn't tell if I was swimming in water or in fog. It seems you can't see the scenery over there unless you look through the water's surface."
He was panting as he wiped his face with a towel handed to him by his disciple, Bonnie.
Once Paul-san had settled down, Beatrix began chanting a spell. It was Fire Ball. However, the magic did not activate.
"Jeanne. Try chanting Light."
"Eh, why?"
"If this is the Goddess's domain, holy magic should be usable."
I see. She really is quick-witted. I answered "Understood" and began the chant. Come to think of it, I hadn't brought any scrolls. If my magic didn't work, I wouldn't be able to help if someone got hurt.
"Light!"
A light kindled in my palm! It seems holy magic can be used.
"Something is missing."
Beatrix was likely right.
"The start of the song is 'When the light is seen through the window,' right? I wonder if the 'window' refers to the water's surface where you can see the outside."
At Bonnie's words, we reflexively looked at each other.
"That's it! The rest is light!"
Paul-san looked at my hand. The light of the Light spell was glowing there.
"It's worth a try. Shall we do it?"
Even Beatrix looked at me. Even if they said that, what was I supposed to do...
"Stand up! I'll support you!"
The impatient mage knelt and grabbed onto me. I had no choice. I braced my feet on the bottom of the boat, stood up, and leaned out.
"Give it everything you've got!"
I aimed both hands at the water's surface and made them glow as brightly as possible.
Suddenly, an intense light poured down from above. This... isn't the light from my Light spell...
I reflexively closed my eyes. Even so, as I desperately kept the Light glowing, the ground beneath my feet suddenly began to shake. Beatrix clung to me.
"Jeanne! Hang in there!"
Lyudmila also clung to me. Something grabbed my leg. What on earth is happening?
Supported by Beatrix and Lyudmila, I managed to stay standing without falling until the shaking subsided. Looking at the others, Beowulf and Will were gripping the gunwale with one hand while supporting Beatrix and Lyudmila with the other. As for Bonnie, she was on all fours, gripping my leg.
"Your solidarity is quite firm, isn't it?"
"You all get along well."
Paul-san and Robinson-san were laughing. The two of them were holding Bonnie down by her waist from above so she wouldn't tumble and fall.
Before I knew it, a blue sky had spread overhead and the sun was visible. The situation where the lake was enclosed in fog hadn't changed, but the scale was clearly different. There was the sun, the blue sky, mackerel clouds, and even white birds were flying. Behind the fog, I could see mountains. They were the same as the mountains surrounding the lake where we had been.
"Look!"
In the direction Beatrix was pointing, a small island with many trees was floating. Is it an island within the lake?
As we approached the island, the trees growing there began to rustle loudly. No wind was blowing. Apparently, the trees were moving. The closer we got, the louder the rustling became. Just as the side of the boat was about to touch the shore, the trees suddenly flexed their branches and attacked. It was like a whip. Fortunately, there was enough distance that they didn't reach us, but if they hit, it wouldn't end with just a welt.
Perhaps we are being warned. As a test, I held up the Light, but the rustling didn't stop. Even showing the offerings had no effect.
We moved the boat away for the time being. The further we got, the smaller the rustling became, until finally, they stopped moving. The Primal Ruins are supposed to be on an island in a lake on an island in a lake. If we can't get onto the island, we can't reach the ruins.
"It seems we aren't very welcome."
At Paul-san's suggestion, we decided to circle the island from a distance, but no matter how long we went, the circular island showed the same scenery. It was just a lot of trees growing.
Everyone sang the song one more time, but nothing changed.
"It's all water. Shall I try diving in again?"
"It's dangerous. Don't be reckless anymore."
"This is a place created by the Goddess. We might be rejected, but we won't be killed, surely."
Beatrix grabbed his hem to object, but Paul-san wouldn't listen. He wrapped the lifeline around his body and dove in.
However. He dove in fine, but immediately started flailing on the surface, shouting for us to pull him up. When we all hurriedly pulled him up, he said his body wouldn't float. Wondering if such a thing was possible, I threw in a piece of wood, and it sank slowly as if being swallowed.
When Lyudmila scooped some with her hand, it felt like ordinary water. According to Paul-san, it felt as if his body had suddenly become heavy. He said a little bit got in his mouth, but he seems fine for now.
"It can't be helped. Let's eat for now."
"We're eating here?"
I couldn't help but retort.
"It's a commemoration. We've come this far. We might as well enjoy this situation."
I see. There is that way of thinking too.
We all spread out our lunch boxes. Today's was a special one made by Angelica-san. It's the same as what Adolf-san and the Archbishop have. It's quite lavish since she went all out. It's more than enough to enjoy.
"Look at this. It's probably fried catfish. She used something quite expensive."
"Are these chestnuts boiled in sugar? Wouldn't these make a profit if sold?"
The bread was also elaborate, with walnuts and raisins inside. There was even honey wine diluted with water in the leather skins. In the middle of this mysterious lake, we couldn't help but get excited.
Dessert was, of course, Highway Cookies. Paul-san apparently bought one 'Special Deluxe Assortment' to offer to the Goddess. The box is three times as thick as a normal assortment. When the lid is opened, the cookies are in three layers. It comes with a luxurious booklet. It contained the secret origin story of Highway Cookies and introductions to the post-station villages where they are sold.
"This is only handled at the main store in the Royal Capital."
"Didn't they receive a medal in the Royal Capital?"
"Umu. Apparently, they opened a shop on the main street of the Royal Capital with the reward money they received along with the medal."
Beatrix's eyes changed color. Opening a magic tool shop in the Royal Capital is her dream.
"How much would it take to open a shop in the Royal Capital?"
"On the main street, two hundred gold coins should be enough. Provided there's a vacant spot, of course."
"Two hundred coins!"
That's the equivalent of eight thousand rats. Even if the two of us defeat forty a week, it would take eight years.
"It looks like it'll be a long road."
It must have been more than she expected. Beatrix slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
"What, you want to open a shop in the Royal Capital? Then go defeat a dragon or something. The reward is two hundred gold coins."
He says the impossible. On the day we faced a dragon, we'd die before we ever touched the gold coins.
"It's okay. By my calculations, if I work hard at rat extermination, I'll have two hundred gold coins saved by the time I'm twenty-three."
"You, can you only calculate in terms of rats? On top of the shop itself costing that much, the clientele are wealthy, so the interior and initial opening costs will take about the same amount. And they say you'll be in the red for three years after opening."
In that case, if we triple it, that's twenty-four years. I'll be forty.
"I want to be a shop owner in my twenties."
The mage, who had forgotten the word 'steady,' was making extravagant demands. Well, however, considering what lies ahead, we can't afford to be too leisurely.